Future's End
by TJCluedo
Summary: The 10th Doctor knows that soon his time will be up and he will regenerate, so decides to have a few last hurrahs before leaving. When the TARDIS crash lands in present day London the Doctor could never guess at the danger that awaits him. All of space and time are under threat and an old enemy has come back for revenge...or, failing that, ultimate universal destruction.
1. Chapter 1

Doctor Who: 

Future's End

The Doctor leapt around the base of control tower like a gazelle attempting to outrun a starving lion. He eyed the readouts with a disturbed raise of an eyebrow. This wasn't right; it couldn't be. Again he took a hop, skip and jump to the next section of flashing buttons and whirling handles. It was impossible. One moment a blip appeared on the console showing something else was travelling inside the time vortex and then the blip disappeared.

'Come on, old girl, try and give me a useable reading,' he said to the TARDIS giving the console a cheerful pat. As if on cue the TARDIS lurched to one side sending the doctor and, anything that wasn't nailed down, into the wall of the control room. Sitting up stiffly the Doctor rubbed the back of his head which had collided with the wall at great speed. He stood up and started to pace the console again when the TARDIS threw everything, including the Doctor, to the other side of the room. He pulled himself from the heap of books and old clothes and strode back to the console with a worried look.

'What's up, ay?'

He could hear the gears churning as if they were full of sand, the inner working must have rusted…or something. The Doctor knew from experience that the TARDIS was temperamental at times, but never to this extent. He flicked the materialisation switch and waited…and waited…and waited. Nothing happened. This was definitely unusual. Ok, the TARDIS didn't always behave herself, but this was different. It had never been this bad.

Suddenly it rolled sideways almost sending the Doctor back into the wall again. Luckily he had a good grip on the console and so was left hanging in mid air. The floor became the ceiling and vice versa. What was happening? A few moments later and everything was back to normal; as normal as things could be inside the TARDIS.

...

People outside the British museum heard the sound of one hundred untuned television sets screaming at full volume. A strange blue box had seemingly appeared out of thin air, ending its materialisation with a loud 'thunk'. Some moved closer to investigate others stood back to be the on the safe side, and others just walked away uninterested in the blue box with the flashing light on top.

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and stepped out into the bright afternoon sun pulling on his long coat. He took a deep breath and slapped his chest, 'Good day for a stroll,' he said to an old couple who just stood staring at him. 'I'd leave it a while before I went in there if I were you.'

He strode off towards the museum entrance went inside. He wasn't particularly fond of museums, most of the exhibits he had met when they were alive. All he wanted was something to do while he let the TARDIS cool down. It was better than trying to poke around inside while it was probably at boiling point.

He passed the Roman exhibit without a glance, he still bad memories there from when he was accused of killing Julius Caesar and had to prove his innocence. Dinosaurs? No point. The times he had thrown sticks for baby T-Rex's to fetch were uncountable. Aha! That looked more like it.

The door to the Egyptian room had been surrounded by a heaving mass of school children who looked thoroughly bored out of their skulls. He walked in behind them and watched on as the guide walked them through the history of Egypt. By the time the young guide was half way through the Doctor wondered himself whether this was a good idea. Her heart didn't seem to be in her work and it showed. The guide was bored; the children were bored, even the teacher kept checking his watch. Then something changed all that, something sitting in the Tutankhamen case.

The guide looked over the group with a half hearted smile. 'And we finish with the sarcophagus of Egypt's most famous Pharaoh, Tutankhamen. These items were found with him when he was discovered back in 1922, but the most interesting item found was this.' The girl stood back so everyone could see the box. The big blue box. The big blue box that seemed to have a light on the top. The Doctor couldn't believe his eyes. Hadn't he just left the TARDIS outside because it was misbehaving? He couldn't run back through the museum quick enough to check. He ran through the crowds, skirted past the old couple he had seen outside and threw himself through the doors. Standing right where he had left it was the TARDIS.

He returned to the Egyptian exhibit and eyed the blue box curiously. There was no way the TARDIS could be there when it was standing clear as day outside. This would never do. The only course of action was to investigate this rouge TARDIS before someone realised what it was. He took his TARDIS key from his pocket and moved stealthily towards the box. As the tour guide continued walking the students through Egyptian times the Doctor eased closer to the box. He slipped the key into the door and turned it. The door snapped open, so it was his TARDIS. He gingerly walked into the dark console room. Suddenly the room filled with a bright white light and the echoing of a voice could be heard.

'Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!'

The white light turned red and the cloister bell began to toll. The voice continued to give the alert of an intruder.

'Hello,' called the Doctor. 'It's me, the Doctor. Look I don't know what's going on her, but I think you'll find this is my TAR...'

Behind the console he could see what looked like a makeshift coffin. It was covered with Gallifreyan text. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the metallic box. As soon as his screwdriver began its scan the box gave off a loud hiss and the lid slowly opened in a plume of thick grey smoke. The alarms suddenly stopped as the Doctor stood back in fear of what might emerge. As the smoke cleared he could clearly see a figure lying in the box, arms crossed over its chest. He didn't recognise the face of the person inside, but it wasn't long before the face began to twitch and the arms moved to its sides.

'Who are you?' asked the Doctor standing further back in case the figure decided he was an intruder and felt like dishing out some punishment.

The eyes opened and closed a few times getting used to the light in the room. The hands gripped the sides of the box and the occupant began to lift itself up into a sitting position. The Doctor and the stranger's eyes met.

'Excuse me, I'll ask again. Who are you?'

The stranger slowly reached a hand out towards the Doctor and a smile crossed the wrinkled face.

'I'm terribly sorry. You wouldn't recognise me, would you?' said the stranger in a deep baritone voice. 'Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Doctor...'


	2. Chapter 2

It took a few moments for the words to sink in. The Doctor had met with his past selves on a number of occasions and only once had he come face to face with a future Doctor. It had transpired that this future self was a human who had accidentally beamed a Cyberman info stamp about the Doctor into his mind making him think he really was the Doctor; so in this instance the Doctor was understandably sceptical on the stranger's identity. Slowly he slipped his hand into outstretched one of the stranger and shook it.

'It's a pleasure to meet you... _Doctor_.'

'Your scepticism is not lost on me. You may be thinking this is another Jackson Lake situation, but he didn't have our TARDIS to prove who he really was.'

'I don't mean to be a doubting Doris,' said the Doctor playfully, 'but one has to be sure of one's roommates. Who were we up against when we first met Jackson Lake...sometimes I forget details.'

'The Cybermen, of course; not to mention the dreadful Miss Hartigan and the gargantuan Cyber King. How could you forget that? Before you start testing me on our past adventures do you think you could help me out of this thing?'

As the future Doctor climbed from the metal coffin the present Doctor couldn't help noticing the outlandish outfit that his future self was wearing. Not only was his future self wearing a purple waistcoat under a larger red waistcoat with bright gold buttons and gold braided lining (that looked like it would be more at home on a pirate sailing the high seas), but the jodhpurs and black riding boots didn't quite fit with the pirate image.

 _When I get to that regeneration I'll make sure to tweak that ensemble a bit_ , thought the Doctor helping himself into a chair.

'So you wish to assess my knowledge of our past lives? Begin.'

'That may not be the easiest way of telling your identity. After all, my adventures in time and space are almost legendary,' stated the present Doctor, boastfully puffing out his chest.

'Legendary?' laughed the future Doctor, 'We may have saved countless lives and diverted numerous catastrophes, but I would hardly call our little trek through the universe "legendary". Admittedly I have singlehandedly foiled the plans of Veerah Narrashta on many occasions...'

'Vera who?'

'Veerah Narrashta, a very annoying little man who can...tut, tut, Doctor...spoilers. The mighty army of the Seventh Sun fell before me and I wiped out the last Dalek fleet.'

The Daleks are finally gone?' asked the present Doctor, unable to believe that his most terrifying enemies were no more. 'How did you do it?'

'Spoilers! You see, anyone could know about any number of our past adventures and I am unable to reveal the truth of your future ones. We are at an impasse.'

'I have an idea,' said the present Doctor, pulling a stethoscope from his pocket. 'Never leave home without it. For some reason when you call yourself _The Doctor_ everyone seems to think you're a GP or something.'

'Ah, yes, checking for my two hearts...'

'I'm sure you don't mind?'

'I would still advise caution; I may be the Master in disguise or yet another of his regenerations.'

'Sorry, are you trying to convince me that you are me or not?'

'I am you, which means I can remember every doubt you will have about me and the validity of my claim.'

The present Doctor placed the stethoscope on the chest of the stranger and listened to the two hearts beating. There was no doubt that the person sitting before him was indeed a Time Lord; even if there was no proof that he was the Doctors future self.

'I understand your need for caution, Doctor, but we do have a job to do,' said the future Doctor, reaching into the metal box for his walking cane. 'You see I haven't told you why I am here. I knew I had to find one of my past selves to aid me in my struggle against Veerah Narrashta's latest plot. Have you ever heard of time bombs?'

'Time bombs? Who is this Vera Nasher...an intergalactic terrorist?'

'You are not far wrong in that statement. Veerah Narrashta has pledged universal destruction and to be the cause of my...our death...blah, blah, blah...etc. I know there is no way that I can face him alone. As you can see my aged body wouldn't be up to much in a physical battle with an infant Adipose, let alone a against Narrashta. You see, there is one final thing I must reveal to you...I am not only your future self, but I am also your final regeneration. If I were to die before Veerah Narrashta is stopped then the universe as we know it would cease to exist.'

'What about these time bombs you mentioned?'

'It is an ingenious plan on Narrashta's part. Look under the console there,' the future Doctor pointed at the console with his cane. 'That is one of the time bombs I managed to defuse before it detonated.'

The present Doctor picked up the metal sphere and turned it around in his hands. 'So this is a time bomb? What exactly does a time bomb do?'

'Narrashta has set these throughout time and space in places too numerous to mention. I have managed to adapt the TARDIS scanner to locate them, but my age is slowing me down a bit. That is why I secreted myself inside that tomb, knowing that one day one of my past selves would discover the TARDIS had been found with Tutankhamen and would no doubt investigate.'

'But what do the bombs actually do?' asked the present Doctor again.

'When one of those bombs detonates everything caught in the blast, and I mean _everything_ , will be transported to the exact place of the explosion, but in the time period set on the bomb.'

'So you're saying that if one of these bombs detonates in Victorian London and the bomb is set for the year 3040, everything caught in the blast would automatically appear in the London of the future?'

'Now you see why I needed help. There was no way I could stop him alone.'

'How do we know when the bombs will detonate?'

As if the TARDIS was waiting for those exact words the scanner began beep. Both Doctors turned to look at the readout on the screen.

'In answer to your question, Doctor, that is how we know when one of the bombs is to detonate. We don't have much time. The scanner only picks up the arming sequence of the bomb, so we have less than a minute to find it before World War Two is transported back to the middle ages or cavemen watch the first light speed spacecraft launch.'

'We had better be going then,' said the present Doctor, pulling a lever and twirling a handle. The TARDIS began to screech as the central column began to pulse up and down. As the TARDIS dematerialised, both Doctors heard a voice from the door.

'It's bigger on the inside...'

Standing with her mouth open and eyes wide was the tour guide the Doctor had seen earlier. She seemed to be frozen in place; her mind trying to understand the room she had just entered. Finally she focused on the two men. 'It's bigger...'

'Looks like we have a new companion,' said the future Doctor, tapping some buttons on the scanner.

'Just like old times,' said the present Doctor, slamming a mallet down onto the control panel.

'Welcome aboard,' they said in unison.


	3. Chapter 3

If there had been swarm of fireflies from the Magenta Star Nebula present they would no doubt have built a nest in the girls open mouth by now. The whole bigger on the inside thing still fazed her, as it had many of the Doctors companions over the years. It was understandable, of course. On how many occasions could someone walk into a box that looked like it would struggle to hold four people, when inside it was discovered that the main chamber could hold four hundred?

'Would you like me to put a pillow under that chin before it hits the floor?' asked the present Doctor, playfully.

The girl blinked a few times and shook her head as if coming out of a hypnotic trance.

'How is it bigger...?'

'I'm terribly sorry, my dear,' said the future Doctor, 'but we don't really have the time to explain it all at the moment...what with saving the universe, and all.'

With that the TARDIS materialised on what could only be described as a large pile of jelly. Its sudden appearance made the whole landscape wobble under it. The TARDIS door opened and the present Doctor poked his head out and took a deep breath.'

'Oh, yuck,' he said, holding his nose. 'I don't like lime jelly.'

'We don't have time for this,' said the future Doctor, pushing his way out of the door and holding his sonic screwdriver out in front of him. 'It must be around here somewhere. The TARDIS is set to land within feet of the bombs.'

'There under the ground,' said the present Doctor, starting to pull at the wobbling mass beneath them. As he broke the jelly into little pieces a shrill cry was heard off in the distance. There was something coming towards them, not fast, but coming all the same. With one last tug the bomb was free from its jelly housing, giving off a loud beep with every second passing. The future Doctor pressed his sonic screwdriver onto the digital readout and the bomb stopped beeping. The timer had stopped with only seconds to spare.

'Next time you had better do it,' said the future Doctor, handing his sonic screwdriver to his past self. 'I don't have the speed and dexterity to keep rushing around like this.'

'Hmm, a new model,' said the present Doctor, turning the screwdriver over in his hands. 'Sleek, stylish...a bit like me really.'

'We must leave, now.'

'What's the rush? I've never been here before and, as you know, I like to play tourist when visiting somewhere for the first time. Oh, hello, I wonder who this could be.'

Over the nearest jelly hill a mass of gelatine blobs were slowly oozing towards them; the cry was almost deafening now.

'These are not friendly locals who want to congratulate you for stopping that bomb.'

'Of course they want to thank me for stopping it, you don't think they would want half their planet flying off into the cosmos, do you?'

'On the contrary, I'm sure they would like to thank you, if you hadn't torn their Queens stomach open.'

The present Doctor looked around him. It was only now he had been told that he saw that the TARDIS had landed on a large jelly woman; her crown had sunk down into her head with its weight. The blobs were almost upon them when it was decided that a tactical retreat was in order. From the door of the TARDIS the young woman called out: 'Where are we? What have you done to me?'

'Don't worry about that right now,' said the present Doctor, pulling some levers and tapping the console. 'We have to leave...'

The doors of the TARDIS creaked as the jelly blobs forced themselves against it outside. If there was even the slightest crack they would find it and gain entry.

'We have to leave now!' shouted the future Doctor, as the main column began to rise and fall. The TARDIS had dematerialised and both doctors gave deep sighs.

'That was close,' said the present Doctor with a big grin.

'Too close, dear boy,' said the future Doctor, falling back onto his chair. He clapped his hands together and the control room was filled with bright white light. The control room had been decked out like some kind of roman bathes, with six thick marble pillars from floor to ceiling around the main chamber. The floors where also white marble and the main console was now polished steel; it looked too clinical for the present Doctor, but then again, it wasn't his to decorate now.

'You had a clapper installed?'

'At my age it gets a little tedious having to turn the lights on and off yourself.'

'Excuse me,' said the girl moving closer to them. 'I have some questions.'

'Go ahead,' said the future Doctor, sagely.

'What was that out there? Where are we? Who are you? And just what the hell have you done to me?'

The Doctors looked at each other, each waiting to see who would answer the girl.

'Age before beauty,' said the present Doctor, opening the floor for his future self.

'No, please,' said the future Doctor. 'You could explain it better...'

Before they could continue the girl leaned on the control console and took hold of a lever with one hand and rested on some buttons with the other.

'You will explain it to me now or I'm going to start pressing some buttons, and I'm sure you wouldn't want that.'

'Don't do that,' said the present Doctor, taking a few steps forward. 'If you press any of those we might end up flying into a sun or something.'

'Flying? You're saying this box can fly?'

'I know it sounds crazy, but let me try and explain...'

The scanner began to beep again. Another bomb had armed itself. There was no time to lose.

'...in a moment,' continued the present Doctor, leaping forward to examine the screen.

'Press the small red button on the coordinate controls. It will automatically lock on to the bombs arming sequence.'

'I want an explanation.'

'I can explain one thing to you. If we don't get to that bomb in time the world as you know it could well cease to exist. So do you mind..?'

The girl stood aside and the present Doctor pressed the little red button on the coordinate control panel. The TARDIS suddenly lurched sideways, toppling the future Doctor from his chair and throwing the girl to the floor.

'You should have stopped her first,' said the future Doctor from the floor.

'How was I to know?'

'You idiot...we're out of control...'


End file.
